Many of the products, materials, or media referred to above, when wet or subjected to treatment in water, are susceptible to bacterial and/or fungal deterioration or degradation unless steps are taken to inhibit such degradation or deterioration. To control deterioration or degradation caused by microorganisms, various industrial microbicides are used but some of these biocides are of questionable utility because they have undesirable odors, are high in cost, show low degree of effectiveness or create hazards with respect to storage, use or handling.
For instance, the use of such popular industrial microbicides as organomercury compounds, organotin compounds and chlorinated phenols have come under great regulatory pressure in recent times because of their high toxicity and concern about their adverse effect on the environment. Workers in the trade have continued to seek improved biocides that have low toxicity and are capable of exhibiting a prolonged biocidal effect at normal use levels.
Methylene-bis(thiocyanate) can be used alone in low concentrations as low toxicity biocides. However, at low concentrations, methylene-bis(thiocyanate) tends to have a narrow antimicrobial spectrum and fails to completely prevent the growth of microorganisms.
Similarly, 2-(thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole (also known as TCMTB) can also be used alone in low concentrations as a biocide. Like the methylene-bis(thiocyanate), TCMTB at low concentrations, tends to have a narrow antimicrobial spectrum and fails to completely prevent the growth of microorganisms at times.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to microbicidal compositions and processes incorporating these compositions that substantially obviate one or more of the problems, limitations, and disadvantages described above and experienced by those working in this art. In particular, the compositions of the present invention are capable of controlling the growth of at least one microorganism, especially fungi, bacteria, or algae, over prolonged periods of time and are safe and economical to use. The present invention is also directed to methods or processes of controlling the growth of at least one microorganism.